Chapter 932
This place has demonic energy
"Benefactor Chu's culinary skills are truly divine."
Chu Yang humbly replied, "Master, you flatter me. It's nothing more than a trivial skill."
Sun Wukong laughed heartily, "Master, I've always said that Brother Chu Yang's cooking skills are the best in the world! With him cooking for us from now on, we're in for a treat!"
Xuanzang nodded, his smile growing even brighter.
“Excellent, excellent! It is truly a blessing for this humble monk to have Benefactor Chu accompany me.”
Chu Yang chuckled inwardly; the first step had been a success.
Next, slowly, little by little, we mixed in the real meat...
……
In the days that followed, Chu Yang would prepare various "mock meat dishes" for Tang Sanzang every day.
Vegetarian braised pork belly, vegetarian sweet and sour pork ribs, vegetarian Kung Pao chicken, vegetarian Dongpo pork knuckle...
Each dish was made to perfection, with excellent color, aroma, and taste, making Tang Sanzang praise it highly.
"Benefactor Chu, what are you planning to do today?"
Every mealtime, Tang Sanzang would ask expectantly.
This greatly surprised Sun Wukong.
He had never seen Tang Sanzang so eager for food. In the past, he had only seen eating as a way to fill his stomach, and there was no enjoyment in it.
"Master has changed," Sun Wukong whispered to Chu Yang. "He used to eat in a rush, but now he eats with great relish, just like me."
Chu Yang smiled slightly: "This shows that Master is beginning to understand how to enjoy life, which is a good thing."
Sun Wukong scratched his head: "I don't quite understand, but what you said makes sense."
And just like that, half a month passed.
Tang Sanzang had become completely accustomed to the "mock meat dishes" made by Chu Yang, and he would eat several bowls of them at every meal.
Chu Yang felt that the time was ripe.
On this day, they arrived at a small town.
Chu Yang used the excuse of going to buy ingredients to enter the town alone.
He bought a pound of pork belly and some other ingredients at the butcher shop, and then returned to the camp.
In the evening, he started cooking as usual.
This time, however, he secretly added some real pork belly to the "vegetarian braised pork".
The pork belly was cut into very small pieces and mixed with tofu and gluten, making it impossible to distinguish them.
"Master, dinner is ready."
Chu Yang brought the prepared food to Tang Sanzang.
When Tang Sanzang saw the plate of "braised pork", his eyes lit up immediately.
"It's vegetarian braised pork again! This is my favorite dish!"
He couldn't wait to pick up a piece and stuff it into his mouth.
He chewed for a moment, then his brow furrowed slightly.
"This dish seems even better than before," he said. "The texture is more delicate, and the flavor is richer."
"Benefactor Chu, have you changed your approach in some way?"
Chu Yang's heart tightened, but he remained expressionless.
"Master has a good palate," he said with a smile. "I did improve the recipe today, adding some new seasonings, so it tastes even better."
Tang Sanzang nodded, then picked up another piece and put it in his mouth.
"Delicious, truly delicious!" he exclaimed repeatedly. "This is the best vegetarian dish I have ever eaten."
Sun Wukong, who was also enjoying his meal, was completely unaware of anything unusual.
Chu Yang watched as Tang Seng ate the plate of "braised pork" with relish, and a complex emotion welled up in his heart.
He knew that what he was doing was somewhat unethical, but he felt it was necessary.
Tang Sanzang's stubborn thinking must be changed.
Otherwise, Sun Wukong will still suffer a lot of injustice in the future.
……
In the days that followed, Chu Yang continued to secretly add real meat to Tang Seng's meals.
Sometimes it's pork belly, sometimes chicken, and sometimes fish.
The amount added each time is very small, and when mixed with the vegetables, you can't taste it at all.
Tang Sanzang always ate happily and was completely unaware that anything was amiss.
And so, another half month passed.
On this day, the three of them arrived at the foot of a mountain.
There is a temple on the mountain called Guanyin Temple.
Tang Sanzang wanted to stay at a temple for the night, so Chu Yang and Sun Wukong accompanied him up the mountain.
The abbot of Guanyin Temple is an elderly monk who is over seventy years old and has the Dharma name Jinchi.
When he saw Tang Sanzang's cassock, a glint of greed flashed in his eyes.
"This robe of yours, Master, is truly a treasure," Jinchi said. "I have lived for two hundred and seventy years and collected countless robes, but I have never seen one so exquisite."
Tang Sanzang smiled slightly: "This cassock was bestowed by Guanyin Bodhisattva; it is indeed a rare treasure."
Jin Chi's eyes grew brighter and brighter, and his face was filled with smiles.
"Since the Venerable Master has come to our temple, why not stay here tonight? This old monk would like to take a closer look at this robe. What does the Venerable Master think?"
Tang Sanzang nodded: "Thank you for your kindness, Master. This humble monk will trouble you for the night."
That evening, Tang Sanzang lent his cassock to Jinchi to admire.
As Jin Chi looked at the glittering kasaya, his greed grew stronger.
He decided to plot to murder Tang Sanzang and seize the cassock.
Late at night, he ordered his men to pile up firewood outside Tang Sanzang's meditation room, intending to burn Tang Sanzang to death.
Fortunately, Sun Wukong was quick-witted and discovered their plot in advance.
He borrowed a fire-repelling cover from the Heavenly King Guangmu and used it to cover the meditation room where Tang Sanzang was staying. He then used magic to create a strong wind, which spread the fire to other parts of the Guanyin Temple.
As a result, Guanyin Temple was burned to the ground and Jinchi also perished in the fire.
The robe was stolen in the chaos by a passing demon—the Black Wind Demon.
The next morning, Tang Sanzang discovered that his cassock was missing and was immediately in a panic.
"Where is my robe? Where is my robe?" he asked anxiously.
Sun Wukong said, "Master, don't worry, I'll go and look for it."
He somersaulted into the sky, looked around, and soon spotted the Black Wind Monster.
"Master, I, Old Sun, have found the whereabouts of the cassock!" He descended from the clouds and said, "It was stolen by a demon living on Black Wind Mountain. I, Old Sun, will go and retrieve the cassock right now!"
Tang Sanzang quickly said, "Wukong, be careful! That demon was able to steal the cassock; he must be quite capable."
Sun Wukong chuckled, "Master, don't worry, a mere monster is nothing to me!"
After saying that, he somersaulted into the sky and flew towards Black Wind Mountain.
Tang Sanzang stood there, looking in the direction he had left with a worried expression.
Chu Yang walked to his side and comforted him, "Master, don't worry. You know how capable Brother Monkey is. A mere demon can't do anything to him."
Tang Sanzang sighed, "I hope so."
Looking at Tang Seng's worried expression, Chu Yang felt a surge of emotion.
Although Tang Sanzang was sometimes pedantic, his concern for Sun Wukong was genuine.
This is probably one of the reasons why Sun Wukong was willing to protect him.
"Master, let me make you something to eat before Monkey King returns," Chu Yang said. "You didn't sleep a wink last night, you must be hungry."
Tang Sanzang nodded: "Thank you for your trouble, Benefactor Chu."
Chu Yang took out the ingredients from the storage bag and began to get busy.
This time, he decided to make a special dish – “Vegetarian Beggar’s Chicken”.
Of course, this dish includes some real chicken. Before long, a golden and tempting "Beggar's Chicken" is ready.
Chu Yang peeled away the mud and lotus leaves, revealing the fragrant "chicken" inside.
"Master, please use it."
Tang Sanzang couldn't help but swallow hard as he smelled the enticing aroma.
"What is this?" he asked curiously.
Chu Yang said, "This is vegetarian beggar's chicken, made with tofu and gluten. It looks like chicken and tastes like chicken, but it's actually vegetarian."
Tang Sanzang nodded, tore off a piece of "chicken" and put it in his mouth.
He chewed it, and his eyes widened immediately.
"This...this..."
He stared at Chu Yang in utter shock.
"Is this really vegetarian? It tastes even better than real chicken!"
Chu Yang smiled slightly: "If Master thinks it's delicious, then that's good."
Tang Sanzang tore off another large piece and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing it heartily.
"Delicious, so delicious!" he exclaimed repeatedly. "This humble monk has never tasted such delicious vegetarian food!"
Chu Yang watched quietly from the side, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips.
What Tang Sanzang didn't know was that nearly half of this "vegetarian beggar's chicken" was real chicken meat.
He has completely broken his vow.
Moreover, this happened without their knowledge.
"Master, please enjoy your meal," Chu Yang said. "I'll go check if Brother Monkey has returned."
Tang Sanzang nodded and continued to enjoy his meal.
Chu Yang turned and walked away, a complex emotion welling up inside him.
He knew that what he was doing was somewhat unethical and might be difficult for Tang Sanzang to accept.
But he felt that this was the first step in changing Tang Sanzang's stubborn mindset.
One day in the future, when Tang Sanzang realizes that he has actually broken the precepts long ago, he may begin to reflect on whether those so-called precepts are really that important.
"Tang Sanzang, I hope you can see things clearly soon."
Chu Yang gazed into the distance, silently reflecting on his thoughts.
"Good and evil in this world are not judged by precepts."
True goodness comes from the heart.
True evil also originates from the heart.
Whether you eat meat or not doesn't determine whether you're a good person or a bad person.
"What matters is your heart, your actions, and your attitude towards the world."
"I hope that one day you will understand this principle..."
Black Wind Mountain, Black Wind Cave.
Sun Wukong fought the Black Wind Monster for three hundred rounds before finally subduing him and retrieving Tang Sanzang's cassock.
The Black Wind Monster was originally a black bear that had cultivated into a spirit. It was quite powerful, but it was no match for Sun Wukong.
After being beaten black and blue, he obediently handed over the cassock and was even subdued by Guanyin Bodhisattva, who took him back to the South China Sea to become a guardian deity.
Sun Wukong returned to Tang Sanzang's side triumphantly, carrying the cassock.
"Master, the cassock is back!" He handed the cassock to Tang Sanzang, chuckling, "I told you, a mere demon can't do anything to me!"
Tang Sanzang took the cassock, examined it carefully, and found it to be intact, which relieved him.
"Excellent, excellent, all thanks to Wukong."
Sun Wukong waved his hand: "Master, there's no need to be so polite. Protecting you is my duty."
Chu Yang watched this scene from the side, feeling quite gratified.
Without the threat of the golden headband, the relationship between Tang Sanzang and Sun Wukong seemed to become much more harmonious.
At least now, Tang Sanzang won't be chanting spells to punish Sun Wukong at the drop of a hat.
"Let's go, let's continue our journey." Tang Sanzang carefully put away his cassock, then mounted his horse.
The three people and one horse continued westward.
……
Several more days passed.
On this day, they arrived in a desolate wilderness.
The mountain road was rugged and difficult to traverse, and the trees on both sides were withered and yellow, exuding a lifeless atmosphere.
"This place is so desolate," Tang Sanzang frowned. "I wonder if there are any houses here. I'm starving."
Sun Wukong said, "Master, please wait a moment. I'll go ahead and see if there are any houses."
After saying that, he somersaulted into the sky and flew forward.
Chu Yang and Tang Seng waited in the same spot.
About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Sun Wukong returned.
"Master, there's a house ahead!" he said, landing on his cloud. "I see smoke rising from the chimney; someone must be cooking."
Tang Sanzang was overjoyed: "Then let's go and beg for some alms."
The three continued on their way and soon arrived at a thatched hut.
The thatched hut was very simple, with a string of dried chilies hanging at the door, making it look like a hunter's dwelling.
Tang Sanzang dismounted, walked to the door, and gently knocked.
"Amitabha Buddha, is anyone home?"
The door creaked open, and a young woman appeared in the doorway.
The woman was about twenty years old, with delicate features, and dressed in a coarse cloth dress. She was curiously looking at the three people outside the door.
"Who are the three benefactors...?"
Tang Sanzang clasped his hands together and said, "This humble monk is Xuanzang, from the Great Tang Dynasty in the East, on my way to the Western Paradise to obtain Buddhist scriptures. I am passing through this place and would like to ask for some alms. I wonder if the female benefactor could grant me this favor?"
The woman smiled slightly: "So you are a high-ranking monk on his pilgrimage. Please come in and have a seat."
She stepped aside to let the three of them into the house.
The room was simply furnished with a table, a few chairs, and some firewood piled in the corner.
The woman gestured for the three to sit down, then turned and went into the kitchen, saying she was going to prepare a vegetarian meal.
Tang Sanzang sat in a chair, his hands clasped together, and his eyes closed as he rested.
Sun Wukong, however, felt uneasy. He kept sniffing the air and his eyes were full of vigilance.
“Something’s not right…” he whispered. “There’s an eerie aura here.”
Tang Sanzang opened his eyes, frowned, and said, "Wukong, don't talk nonsense. They kindly took us in; how can you be so rude?"
Sun Wukong shook his head: "Master, my nose never fails me. There is definitely demonic energy here, and it's right there on this woman!"
Tang Sanzang's expression changed: "Wukong, what did you say?"
Just then, the woman came out of the kitchen carrying a tray.
The tray held three bowls of white rice and several small dishes, which looked very appetizing.
"Please, gentlemen," she said with a smile as she placed the tray on the table.
Just as Tang Sanzang was about to reach for the bowl, Sun Wukong suddenly grabbed him.
"Master, wait!" he shouted sternly. "There's something wrong with this food!"
Tang Sanzang was stunned: "What's the problem?"
Sun Wukong coldly stared at the woman and said, "This isn't a vegetarian meal; it's clearly a mind-altering meal! If Master eats it, he'll lose his senses and be at the mercy of others!"
The woman's expression changed, and a hint of panic flashed in her eyes.
"What...what nonsense are you talking about?"
Sun Wukong chuckled, took the golden cudgel from his ear, and weighed it in his hand. (End of Chapter)